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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — a container
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. kid — to tease
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com